Samit Patel having a go at selectors.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/sep/04/samit-patel-england-australia

Does he have a point, or is he just whinging?

He's not good enough for test cricket but should be in the ODI squad, well for me.

Every time he has had a chance, for me he has not looked good enoug - at Test and ODI level. Nothing he has done this season suggests that anything has changed.

If included in the ODI team, Patel's role would be to bat in the middle order - say no6 - and bowling some overs. So really what Ravi Bopara does. I an unable to see Patel ever scoring runs in the manner Bopara did the other day.

The other person that Patel could be contending a spot with is Ben Stokes. As Patel has shown very little at the international level - I am much happier that the coaches are having a look at Stokes instead.

Perhaps Miller was wrong to tell Patel he needed to be more consistent. Perhaps he should have told him he just needs to be better - as consistently ok is not good enough.

Good post, LT. Agree with that last paragraph in particular.

Never seen it with Samit, good county player, not upto International class at all

I think he has a point to the extent that some people are given longer runs to show what they can do than others. Compton was certainly harshly treated, in comparison to say someone like Woakes (ODIs) or Morgan (tests) who were given a lot longer.

I am not sure this is as unfair as it seems, or as Compton is making out. It is simply that England see potential in some cricketers which they don't see in others, and those who England have invested time and money in and who have come through the system (typically Lions, then ODIs, then tests) are those who England believe are worth investing in and therefore get longer to prove their worth.

On the other hand, someone like Compton has obviously been marked as an honest performer but nothing special, so if he isn't scoring runs he's on a much shorter string.

The other thing worth keeping in mind is there is still a big step-up from county cricket to international cricket. While consistent performances at county level should give people a chance to get into the set-up (usually via the Lions) it is still a step-up. A perfect illustration of this has been Carberry's struggles in the field in Ireland and now for the first 10 overs here. At county level he is an excellent fielder, but the pressure and increased speed and power of the international arena have made him look distinctly below par so far.

As for Patel himself I am not so sure he can really feel hard done by. He has had plenty of chances in ODIs, without ever really imposing himself. He has done OK but England are rightly looking for better than OK. Moreover there have always been noises made about his attitude and ability to fit in; if you get the returns that Pietersen gets, it's easier to get away with...

Going public now with complaints about selectors is hardly going to win them over. By all means, talk to them in private if the opportunity is there but save wider comments for a post-career authorised biography.

The reason why he and Compton are not given runs, is that it's the old 'Ramprakrash' rule. A player may look and perform like a million dollars when the going is easy, but needs to be mentally tough when the going is hard

Compton or Patel, hardly come across as been like this, when they whinge in public